Ferry service to Cuba could start this year if US approves, operator says

March 15, 2011|By Ted Jackovics, McClatchy-Tribune News

Two companies are interested in providing passenger ferry service from Florida to Mexico and Cuba with ventures that could begin late this year or early 2012, officials said Tuesday.

United Caribbean Lines, created by former Norwegian Cruise Lines executive and Premier Cruise Lines founder Bruce Nierenberg, and a company officials declined to identify have held discussions in recent months with port officials, Tampa port director Richard Wainio said.

Both are seeking federal approval to serve the Cuba charter market, similar to flights recently authorized to fly between Florida and Cuba. Those would initially be permitted to serve U.S. travelers who have relatives in Cuba or who do academic research or business in medical and agricultural sectors.

Nierenberg said he would lease the ferries and operate them from the Port of Tampa, Port Everglades and the Port of Miami.

Tampa has the advantage to get started first because of its location with regard to Mexico. The two South Florida ports and the large population of Cuban Americans here are ideal for Cuba routes, although Nierenberg would also serve Cuba from Tampa if he gets the U.S. license.

Unlike charter air travel to Cuba, which is permitted from Miami, New York and Los Angeles and recently got approval from other U.S. airports, the United States has not approved charter ferry travel to the communist nation.

Nierenberg said his company would be able to provide Cuba service later this year if the U.S. government approval is achieved.

He plans to inaugurate service between Tampa and a port in the Yucatan in Mexico in early 2012.

"The new company will be well capitalized," said Nierenberg, who first requested a federal license to serve Cuba in 2009.

Nierenberg said the ferries would be the kind that are common in Europe, with tall upper decks that resemble cruise ships and carry up to 1,500 passengers atop two decks that could hold 600 cars.

The Tampa-Mexico trip would take about 30 hours each way, and it would take 18 hours to sail between Tampa and Cuba.

Mexico service likely would begin with 100 to 120 round trips a year, compared with at least one round trip a week between Tampa and Cuba.

"You'd have dinner on board, shows, all the things you'd find in a modern cruise ship," Nierenberg said.

Eventually, Nierenberg would like to establish ferry service between Florida and other Caribbean locales served by air.